(// writing: invited people only, reading: you are welcome but OORP only //)
//// This thread is part of the romantic space series / soap opera between Laura C. and Trueno B.
Other episodes can be found here:
1. Love Service! (how and where it all began; read posts of Yaoquizque, Rodnas and Laura C. )
2. First date (how Laura first met Trueno - this episode) 3. Getting a second chance (arranging second date) 4. Romance in Hawaii Heaven (how it began to be serious; including some little adult content )
We hope it is a somewhat enjoyable read (we tried to proofread but English is not our native language and what you read is formatted skype chat, so mercy on our souls!) ////
Laura finished docking procedure with rented Hawk. Finally, after all delays and problems on the way here. She arrived to Freeport 1 in advance because she wanted to meet Concordia before the...date. Thinking about that word, she started to be nervous again, still unsure if what will happen today is good idea.
"This still can be canceled, right?" she thought and left the ship, looking over hangar bay for Concordia, hoping that there will be no problem to find each other.
One hour later she realized that this will be a problem. After hour of walking around the hangar and watching departing and mainly arriving ships and people who got out of them, apparently nobody of them was Concordia because all of them were men. She returned to her ship with plan to send a message to Concordia to arrange a meeting place. But when Laura opened her Neural Net message box, there was new message from her.
"Hey there sweethearts! I´m so sorry but I can´t make it to Freeport today. But you are still on the way there or you even already arrived. So why make these trips useless? You can meet without me, right? I know, you don´t know each other. So I make it easier for you and reserved a table in one of the restaurants here named Frozen Sun. I chose a symbolic table - number two. Reserved on fictional names Lily Sweet and Alejandro Corazon. Just for surprise. Have fun!"
Laura noticed that message has two recipients, but then tryed to catch her breath. "Dammit! No, I will definitely not go there alone!" she told for herself. Then she started to think about turning on ship engine but few moments later, she calmed down again and remained without a move in pilot´s seat for long minutes. And thought.
"So you will just run away and then lie that you had a malfunction on ship? That is totally pathetic! You can talk to Corsair who is pirating your ship and who is ready to kill you for bad word and still you can stay calm, but you can´t do the same at table in restaurant on safe Freeport? What can happen? If he will be ugly and boring, you can have some small conversation with him and then leave after thirty minutes. Or you made a trip across half of Sirius for nothing? Come on!"
She put the clothes that she chose earlier for this event on herself and put the makeup as best as she could. Then she took small handbag with few things including small eletric taser, locked the ship and went inside station. As she went through commercial zone, she sat down is some bar for twenty minutes to think about conversation topics. And also to drink a glass of wine to raise courage and calm down. Then she got an interesting idea...
When Laura found Frozen Sun, it turned out that it´s nice but also quite ordinary and not expensive or snobbish restaurant with view on Omega-3 sun.
"Hello, can I have a table despite I don´t have a reservation?" she asked waiter inside. "Hello, of course, if there is not reservation on that table," he answered. "Great, can I have number two, it is my favourite number. Which one is it?" Laura said according to her plan. "It is the second one at the in the row with best view, but unfortunately I see that this one is reserved. Can I offer you table at the corner?" he answered. "Sure, that one is good too," Laura answered when she checked that from this table she will have a good view on table number two. Then she ordered glass of wine and started to check every incomer, waiting who will sit at table number two...
In his small cabin on Cadiz Base, Trueno makes his last preparations for the upcoming "battle".
"Battle might not be entirely correct" he mumbles to himself while trying to get into his polished boots "this stuff is supposed to be juerga afterall"
Standing up, he checks if everything is as intended.
"Uniform clean and insignia removed? -Si, everything but the crest of the familia is gone.
Shaved? -As good as it gets.
Everyone is busy and ensured he is out for business? - Patrols assigned, hunters out prowling, all bueno.
Gift? - Hopefully, the huge jambon comes frompersonal stock...hopefully not to show-offish, the rum should be muy bueno though.
Let's do this!"
Trueno spends one moment if he should have gotten a chaperone after getting concordias message, then again he decided against it. Who to ask anyways? This was too risky and embarassing to ask a Corsair and he had nothing but business contacts outside the Empire anyways.
One last look into the mirror - "Madre mio, you sure didn't sleep enough viejo!" As it can't be helped, Trueno leaves his cabin, ham in hand and makes way to the hangar, trying to use less frequented corridors to spark as little interest as possible. As his Titan glides out into the open space, Trueno throws his doubts over board. He will do this, for him, for his Empire, for his honor- it can't be THAT hard!
"Meeting will be at the Frozen Sun, at least that resaurant isn't frequented too much by by Corsairs, so he won't be recognized. Hopefully i recognize HER- afterall i don't even know her real name....meh, doesn't matter, Concordia won't have set up a date with a malnourished hessian cardamine addict. It will be a good evening."
(// story as it was played by me and Rodnas, part 1 // )
Trueno chose his path carefully, he knew the ins and outs of the region from numerous advances to the lanes. He evaded Port Talbot as well as the perimeter of the comet. Rushing in while the trade lanes were inactive he quickly docked his Titan onboard of Freeport 1, afterall this was not his first visit. Before he left his cockpit, he took one last breath... He was ready, his ham was ready, he remembered all lessons from old One-legged Pepe, what could possibly go wrong? With a hiss, the cockpit opened and Trueno ordered the deck personnel to keep his Titan ready for leaving. Just in case...
He had to orient himself a bit as he didn't know where exactly the restaurant Frozen Sun is located as he never frequented it. But after some minutes looking around he stood before the entrance. "Now it is time to show some true Corsair spirit," he mumbled to himself. Trueno entered the locale signaling a waiter to assist him. "Hombre, table two is reserved for me and mi compañera, show me the way si?" The last meters were tough, suddenly his uniform had feeling like itching and being sweaty everywhere...damn, he was nervous afterall.
From the tables in the restaurant guests could propably see a mid sized man in a dark rust red uniform with high boots following the waiter through the table rows. He looked about 30 something years old, yet at least his face didn't seem very "fresh" dependign on interpretation this man could be anxious, tired or both. More prominent than the golden crest he wears around his neck, Trueno carried a somewhat biggish ham, complete with bone with him.
The waiter showed him the empty table biding him to take a seat. Trueno politely took the offer, ordered a glass of coffeinated asteroid soda and started scanning the area. "Hmmmm, no Hessian symbols here, Concordia chose well...or was there something?" Trueno thought and looked for people with Hessian, Outcast or Molly symbols first, then looked for people who seemed to watch him.
But restaurant seemed to be quite empty in this hour. Only four tables were with guests. Two freeport technicians with a beer, two women around fourty years old talking to each other and laugh, a pilot in uniform of IMG and a woman around 25-28 years old. Nobody seemed suspicious in any way. As Trueno noticed, nobody gave him attention after he went in except the single young woman at table in the corner. When Trueno sat to the table, Laura´s heartbeat went wild. "Okay, so thats him. Well, not bad for first look," she thought.
Trueno noticed how empty the place actually was, tunnel vision seemed to have struck again...he grumpily thought he is too much in his head and not present enough. Now...who is that looking at me? Trueno tried to take an unsuspicious look. Damn, he was bad at doing secret stuff, obviously used to more direct approaches.
Laura noticed that Corsair is looking for something. Well, probably her. She was frozen for few moments when their looks met. But almost two glasses of wine made their job and gave her courage. She stood up and walked to the table.
Trueno noticed that girl at table in the corner is still looking at him but when their looks met, she turned her head to other direction. Few moments later she stood up and went towards his table. When she was approaching, he had few seconds to take a look on her.
She had apparently Kusari origin. Her face has a neutral expression when she start looking directly to Trueno. She was wearing a tight black t-shirt, jeans and quite ordinary shoes. But after few seconds, Laura stopped in front of the table. "Señor Corazón?" she asked with quite good pronunciation, despite it was obvious that her native language is not the Corsarian one.
Looking a bit sheepishly Trueno took half a second to realize what is happening.
But as soon as "Lily" stood in front of the table, he basically shot out of his chair and tried to gallantly extend his hand over to her. "Señorita Sweet, I take it then, sí?" he started to bow slightly no matter if she takes his hand or not. "It is an honor!" He basically gave "Lily" not much time. "Senorita, take a seat, si?" What Laura might notice was that he sure sounded like commanding is not an issue to him, though he was in no way rude. But people good at "noticing" stuff might sense that the voice is not as secure at the end as at the begining.
Laura blushed a little and turned her look to the floor for a second. "Gracias, señor," she answered and sat down while thinking that maybe she chose too ordinary clothes when she realized that "señor Corazon" is wearing an uniform. A silent second ensured, Trueno took a breath, the gestures at the whole ham on the table. "Señorita, it is a pleasure to meet you, please take this as a gift of my appreciation. It comes from my own reserves, be my guest," While still standing, he awaited response.
Laura apparently started to be confused if she should stay sit or stand up again. "Oh...eh...gracias señor. You brought a jamón as a gift. I´m...pleased, I know that this mean a lot to get this from you. I am honored that I can be your guest," she started to speak, apparently embarrassed but trying to keep well-mannered tone. "Had you good way here?" she added and second later realized how quite weird this question is at this situation from her.
As Laura started to speak more, Trueno noticed that non-Corsarian words had a Bretonian accent. He took another half of second to realize that the gift seems to be well recieved, and he gave a tiny small smile. "Muy bien, but seems I forgot my manners after all," he said and took another small bow what might look a tiny bit stiff doing all that etiquette stuff. "While i thank señora Concordia for guarding my privacy when getting this table, I am more comfortable with my true name. Señorita, my name is Trueno, Son of Jamón Coccinero!" It was weird way to introduce oneself, even for a Corsair.
He then took his seat again, and looked up to "Lily". "But to answer your question - Omegas were quiet, and the trip was bueno, gracias. I hope you had no problemas with lowlife while coming here?" he happily took up the first "topic".
Laura looked at him and noticed big medallion that Trueno has on a chain around his neck. Then she also noticed his uniform sure looks a bit used and has quite some tiny punctures in the "heart" area and such.
Other than that Trueno looked calm on the outside, but what she noticed though was that his eyes were 100% focused on "Lily". She had his attention, but felt it as a "piercing" little. Laura also noticed that Trueno sure has some eyerings - evidence that he not slept for weeks or so it seemed.
Laura scratched her hand nervously. "Nice to meet you, señor. I´m...Laura," she answered. "And my way here was more quiet than I even expected, I didn´t encountered any pirates what was quite surprise. Maybe they were on holiday," Laura smiled a little, trying to make a joke.
(// story as it was played by me and Rodnas, part 2 // )
Waiter appeared at the table, asking for order. Laura wanted to say something but then stopped before that, looked at Trueno and waited. "Perdon, Laura...what do you want to drink? Uhm...and shall we dine as well?" he quickly asked. "Okay, why not," Laura said shortly, again waiting and looking at Trueno.
"Damn, what to choose?!?!" Trueno cursed in his head "...this house stuff is all weird! A bottle of rum? No, no, no...propably not. Fancy coctails like I saw in Libertonian neural net shows? No clue about those! Wine? Not with Sirius all out war with Gallia. Sake? Might be too blunt. Madre mio! But too late, waiter is here!"
As the waiter asked what they want to order, Trueno startles a bit "Buenas noches señor, uhm...I think we both take your recommendation, sí? And the matching drinks as well, bueno? Gracias."
He nodded again in Laura´s direction looking if she is ok with that, as well as getting her to continue. "Close one," he thought.
Waiter wanted to say something but Laura was faster. "Do you have Gran Canaria salmon? I don´t remember exact name, but you know what I mean, right?" she said and waiter nodded. "With grilled potatoes please. And another...uhm, and a glass of white Rioja wine."
Waiter again nodded and looked at Trueno. "For you sir, I can recommend our chilli steak. It is good with Bret...with lager...but also red wine is good too," he said, probably noticing that it is not good idea to say "Bretonian" in front of Corsair. "Maybe you can try red Rioja, señor. Do you know this wine from Grand Canaria?" Laura added.
"Bueno, I will take the steak, with Bretonian lager," Trueno snorted a bit when he said "Bretonian", obviously amused and pleased by the carefull waiter. "And maybe a glass of that Rioja, for comparison, sí?" he added and then gestured to the waiter to move on, focusing back on Laura. "Now, where were we? You said you had a good way here. For once low life free? You came in lanes through the ice field or the gas nebula?"
"Ice field, I came from the direction of Bretonia," she said. "But I was thinking if the da...meeting there is not too dangerous for you. I mean, Omega-3 is still under control of Bretonians. Or they have no patrols here?"
Trueno slightly blushed at the almost mention of the d-bomb. "Well, señorita....as you already noticed...I am a Corsair...and finding a path to fly unseen and unhindered is...crucial for business, sí? Who would take notice of one lone ship? The Bretonians are quite busy nowadays with the neverending wars." He leaned in a bit. "Now, you only traveled through Bretonia?"
Laura noticed his reaction for that word. It seemed that he is little shy. "Shy Corsair. How cute..." she thought. When waiter brought drinks, she sipped from her wine. And as she started to drink third glass of wine for last two hours, she started to be less and less shy. And moreover, she liked this wine, it was delicious. How pity that it was so hard to find in other parts of Sirius except close to Gran Canaria.
"No actually, it was quite long way for me. I had to travel from Okinawa, so through Liberty, which I don´t like to be honest, and then through Bretonia," Laura answered finally. "It is the longest way, but I didn´t want to risk the way through warzone of Taus and Leeds. And Rheinland is...Rheinland. More criminals and revolutionists than law protectors these days..." she added.
"Okinawa?" Trueno nodded knowingly, "a good place to live in." His mind raced in order to categorize. "She skipped Rheinland...might be a gas miner? Does it matter? So far everything is bueno. What now, though? Was something expected?" Trueno openly laughed at the comment on Rheinland, only briefly but honestly and openly. "Sí...Rheinland is...difficult at times, isn't it? You seem you get around and saw quite a bit of Sirius, señorita. How is that if I may ask?" he said. "Now don't be a bounty hunter, sí?" he thought to himself, smiling at the irony if it would be true.
"I...moved a lot when I was young. And also, my job is transport pilot. Well, freighter and then transport pilot to be exact. So I had routes almost everywhere on inter-Sirian houses basis, but I visited Gallia also. If you put this together, the result is that I know a lot. Most of the time, my home is whole Sirius and my ship..." Laura explained. "...Everywhere...and nowhere" she added half to herself, looking at the glass in her hands. "What is your way to make a living, señor?" she asked after few seconds of silence.
"Hm, no familia to work with? No casa to call home? That is...interesting....at least you learnt tolerance to new things or so it seems." While saying that he looked in her direction. "My way of making a living?" he narrowed his eyebrows, pondering on how to answer. Then he looked directly at her, attempting a joke as well while raising his glass. "Don't we all live on murder, plunder and pillaging?"
He gauged on her reaction waiting how to proceed. "Was that too much? Madre mio, this look like a minefield here!" he thought and took a hasty sip from his glass.
Laura stayed frozen, looking at Trueno. "What do you mean? I´m not murdering, plundering and pillaging."
Trueno cleared his throat. "Ehm, perdon, I was joking señorita." Now his eyes roved left and right, obviously that was unexpected. "What I wanted to say, well...uhm, I am a Corsair and of course I serve the empire and all that, sí...but uhm, if we are talking about making a living...I am a tradesman, so to say. A trader, yes, trader."
Even a child would propably see that he is not fully lying but surely truth is something else. He seemed a bit uncomfortable with this, waiting if Laura has more questions. "You know...I, uhm, own a distillery for rum, sí?" Trueno nodded fast to reinforce himself, "sí, a distillery for the famed Maldava cloud rum! Did you ever hear of it on your travels?" That seems to be a relief to find somethign he can easily speak honestly about.
Laura looked quite closely at Trueno. "Tradesman you say. Interesting. May I ask in what type of ship you arrived here?" she said little sharply.
It seems his mind has settled again. Laura recognized he has that piercing look again, and his voice is back to eloquent again as well. "Well, sí, sí, of course, I took the liberty to use my trusted Titan of course! No ship navigates a lone hombre safer through open space! You know, security is an issue, even for a Corsair, especially while leaving his home space..." "I understand. So you use Titan for travels. Do you pilot any other types of ships?" she threw another question at him. "Ah sí, sí! But if you want to know how I am situated señorita, it is no shame to ask directly...I heard that in Kusari speaking of pesetos is...inappropriate at times but for me as a Corsair, it is well within the green area to speak openly about what one has!"
Laura was not sure if he is evasive or if he means it or both. "Now, rest assured that there is no need to worry about my pesetos. I can offer my madre, my padre and my two hermanos to live with me in a casa on Crete and no one goes to bed hungry!"
This certainly made Trueno smile. "Have no worries, I am the living proof...I am no osambre after all."
Laura looked straightly in Trueno´s eyes. "That is interesting. But which other types of ships you pilot or command when you work for Corsair empire?" she said, apparently waiting for specific answer.
Trueno seemed a bit irritated at being pressured, maybe a bit surprised. "Well, of course I command and pilot everything if I am told to do so, have no doubt."
He nodded, then made an open hand gesture. "And for trading, nothing beats a Raba transport at that after all, so I own one of those. And for those bigger deliveries, a Z-Line transport comes in handy as well, sí. And how about you? You said you live basically in space? I guess you take on the comfort of a freighter or a small transport?"
"Z-Line transport? Which one is it?" Laura asked curiously. "And no, I spent some time in freighter, then lot of time in BWT transport, but now for some time I´m pilot of train class ship. Well, captain, as it officialy called, but in company which I work for, "captain" means first pilot."
"It is the Nereides, the humble sea spirit that brings a sailor home safely...fitting name for a ship, sí? So...you work for a company...hmm...ahem...well, do you mind me asking for which?"
Trueno reddens slightly his mind racing. "Puta madre mio et mierda! Don't tell me I met her before!"
Laura finished her glass of wine and ordered another, despite she thought that maybe it is time to take a break in drinking before she will start to be drunk. "Red Hessian Blood Diamonds Mining and Selling Iniciative" she said in strange way, looking at Trueno, trying to suppress smile and act suspiciously seriously in compare to previous talking. "Time to try out his sense of humor," she thought, waiting which response this will have.
Trueno was trying to take a sip from his glass and almost choked when heard this. "What?!!!" His head rushed up from his drink, and after a shock second realized he has been had. "Hmpf, bueno señorita, seems like you caught me here...now you don't have to tell me for whom you actually captain that train of yours, sí?"
He thought for a moment. "Not that I am not interested, don't get me wrong...but I respect your...privacy after all, sí? Everyone needs some secrets don't you think?" he smiled. That will keep his dealings out of the talk for sure!
Laura smiled provocatively, satisfied with the result. "Definitely, I agree. Some things need time and trust. I think that it is enough for me to know for now that you are not one of that cruel Corsair raiders, and for you that I´m not working for Bounty Hunters, Red Hessians or Bretonia Armed Forces. Right?" she said and smiled at Trueno quite nice.
Trueno nodded in agreement. "Sí, sí, fair and square. But speaking of trust....how comes that you actually came to be here? I mean...with Concordia and all that stuff? I mean...if I may ask..."
"You mean how it happened that I´m on blind date with Corsair on Freeport half of the Sirius far from my current home?" Laura said half jokingly, half ironically. Probably almost empty fourth glass of wine started to have its effect. But then Laura stopped talking, looked at Trueno and stayed quiet for few seconds, thinking what to say and her smile faded away. "As you said before when you understood it - no family, no real home. Woman will start to feel lonely after some time, despite it is used to feel lonely." Laura finished glass of wine. "You know, there is lot of men around space shipping. But when I seriously started to look around, I spent a lot of time in Liberty, where every third man is total idiot in my experience. And lot of time in Kusari. I don´t know if you know Kusarians. Their xenophobic and scornful attitude to everything from outside Kusari. Try to imagine how they deal with a girl who look like me, but speak with Bretonian accent and know only basics of Kusari language..." Laura stopped talking, looking at the empty glass in her hand on the table.
Trueno looked a bit surprised and thoughtful. "Ah, the emptiness of space..I see." He ponders for a bit. "Well, it is true that the Kusarians have a quite rustical sense of how to live and how...life should work out, switching from one conservative regime to another. And the Libertonians...they live too good for their own sake, growing mad on the splendors they own... It weakens an hombres mind and soul, let me tell you!"
Trueno seemed to come to a more agreeable point. "But...sí...well, familia, that is a good thing to travel space after all," he thoughtfully rolled his glass between his hands, "familia, everyone should have one, no doubt...it is a basic need after all. Hmmm...señorita, what about your familia?"
Trueno doesn't seem all too sure about asking that subject, but it makes him thoughtfull aswell. But just after he said last two sentences with question in the end, he noticed that this wasn´t probably good idea. Laura froze for few seconds, then answered with cold voice. "I don´t have any family, señor Trueno. They died in accident when I was very small child."
While still looking on the table without any even short look at Trueno, she touched her face. Maybe hiding a tear in her eye? Then silence appeared again at the table.
"Mierda, that was surely one thing we don't have in common then," Trueno cursed in his head. Then scratched his head and make an apologetic movement. When he saw what might be with her eyes, he turns his head slightly away so "he doesn't see" and Laura can keep her face.
"My, my honest apology señorita...maybe that was not a bueno starter conversation. Ahem...you know...well," he took a short break, "you know señorita...I am not hmmmm...well versed in this kind of uhm...meetings....I kind of you..." he lifted his hand a bit off the table and looked back at Laura. "Familia...well, I have more of it than you can wave a stick at! I mean...if you...by any chance drop by Crete, I will share a slice of familia with you...sí?"
He smiled, maybe a bit clueless and gestured to the waiter to bring a fresh round of drinks, waiting to see if Laura lightens up abit or not. "So you are offering me to share your family. That´s...nice, really," she said silently, trying to smile. "Now excuse me please," she said, surprisingly stood up and quickly leaved the table close to the waiter and without any other word she quickly headed towards toilets.
Just after few steps, the tears started to flow down her cheeks. After she arrived to the toilet and locked the door behind, she started to cry at full blast. "Why he did this? Why he asked and talked about this? Why he had to ruin the date with this? Why I, I had to ruin it?!" she thought, angry at Trueno, but much more at herself. "But this also happened because you drank too much. Get drunk on the first date. Date with Corsairs and you are the one who is drunk! Damn, you are so stupid! Okay, another attempt failed. Time to go home, hopelessly alone again. Good job, really!"
( // story as it was played by me and Rodnas, part 3 // )
Few minutes later, Laura looked at herself in the mirror. Fortunately no other woman came to the toilet. She felt so dissapointed by herself. "Nothing to save here. Maybe he even left. And if not, what will he think about you. That you are oversensitive hysterical woman. Time to go home," she thought and started to wash down blurry make-up. Then she quickly made new one as quickly as was possible. It was not good, but better than nothing. Nothing to loose here anyway.
Trueno was left alone for around twenty minutes. "Mierda, mierda, mierda!" He wanted to say something but Laura was away too fast for him to react. He rubbed his temples, thoughts racing "Focus, Corsario, focus!" He took a quick look around then slipped a hand into his uniform drawing a small metal flask, unstoppering it and taking a deep gulp before he hid it again.
As his "special" rum lighted all fires in him, burning his mind to concentrate, he calmed down. "Think, what would old One-legged Pete do? what would El Machete do?" Was there any wisdom from his hermanos? His own experience with diplomancy? Trueno rubbed his temples more. "I will have to evade these minefields or this Titan is going to wreck down! I will have to bring up enough diversion from the issue or I will be the first hermano who saddened señorita to death! Now let's just hope I will find something in time....madre mio!"
In the meantime, dinner arrived. Trueno waited patiently for Laura´s return, but now he looked a bit "fresher" than before.
Laura left toilet and returned to restaurant. She was approaching the table with straight idea to just say goodbye and leave. But then she noticed Trueno waiting for her with food and she get bad feeling about this. "You can´t do this to him. And leave table with served food? That is real crime! Calm down and try to stay for a while. And be nice!" she thought. She sat down and looked at Trueno. Fresh makeup on her cheeks and especially around eyes could be noticed, clear sign that she cried. Laura took a deep breath. "I´m very sorry for this, señor Trueno. But you spoke about family so nice...about something I never had. Something I even can´t imagine well. Maybe this topic is not the best for now. And food is here...so, enjoy your meal!" Laura sipped from her glass of wine. The fifth one today. "Maybe you can say me why you are here," she said between two bites. "I thought Corsairs are looking for girls in their worlds. Or they are kidnapping them. Or they changed?" she added then, waiting curiously for answer.
Hesistantly, Trueno gestures to their plates "My apologies again....well...it seems the kitchen ment well with us afterall. I hope it suits your tastes!" He fumbles around a bit with his fork "Well, if that isn't a meal, hm? That...kind of brings me to your questions..." Obviously he chose his words wiser for now "You see, the Empire grows as its children broaden its borders, filling it with life. Too much of it than it can stomach actually, as you might have heard. There is...hunger in us and we need to sate it or starve.....the most basic one is food, obviously."
He nodded in direction of his meal "More than enough to sate at least one hermano more almost decadent... The thing is...we hunger for many more things, every Corsario does, hombre or señorita, bebito or don. Yet there are times I hate being hungry. Which brings us back to "why not daughter of Crete?" To be honest and blunt - I believe that folk from the house lack this starving hunger in their heart...and I am very sure that such company might quiet mine, if only for a short time...but it will. Simple as that...a comagnera where I can be sated and calm cannot be found in the Empire...but it is to be found in the houses! That is the core of it I guess..."
He leaned back in his seat letting the words sink a bit, then suddenly remembering. "Oh...and that kidnapping...by my honor I would never have a kidnapped señorita by my side...that is...distasteful at best, slavery at worst...this has no place in the Empire! Well...kidnapping maybe...a bit...but not to keep ...just to ...well...get pesetos..."
He reddened a bit, quickly taking a bite from his steak and took a sip from his alcoholic beverages. He took only three polite sips of them, staying most of the time with coffeinated water, but Laura was distracted by too many things to notice it.
"Food is great. Gran Canaria salmon used to be my favourite food when I spent some time there," Laura answered. When Trueno finished his talk, she thought for a second. "Yes, hunger is horrible. You know, now I´m quite well. I have quite good paid job and enough food around. But many years ago, I was very poor, living on the periphery of the society. So I experienced hunger in that times. I know what people can do for even small bit of food. And I hope I will never experience it again," Laura said and took short break. "So if I understand it, you are looking for somebody from houses to have...lets say safe harbour at her? Where you can have enough food?" she added.
"Hm...well basically..yes. Maybe think of a more.... metáfora kind of hunger, sí? As I said, I can look after me and the mine...I am healthy and can afford continuous detoxication and de-rad medication, no worries!" Trueno doesn't seem sure if he should stress the "hunger" point or just leave it at that-the health issues in contrast, he emphases...it seems he wanted to make clear that he is neither ill nor malnourished or poor. He tried to pick up again "It is a good thing though that you know hunger believe it or not...it makes you know what you want, sí? After all, the lack of great food years ago brought us to this table today, fully knowing what we want."
He raised his glass "Salud, may we always sleep with a full belly and next to a warm fire!"
Laura raised her glass too. "Salud!" she replied shortly. "And it is true, señor Trueno," she laughed a little about similarity of those words, "that people then know what they want. But," she started in more serious tone, "I saw very well that in the end, people will do anything and everything if they are starving." It was quite ironic that empty plate was in front of her when she said these words. She smiled at Trueno, asking then another question. "How far are you willing to commute for your...lady?" she asked playfully. Then waiter appeared at table and took Laura´s empty plate. "Glass of water, please," she ordered, knowing very well that she drank more than enough wine now. That was danger of Rioja, it was sweet and tasty, so it was hard to stop on time.
"Commute?" Trueno repeated and looked as if that idea never crossed his mind so far. "You mean like travelling around all the time? Well, I do business travels quite regularly to Bretonia, Rheinland and Kusari...but it is not -that- easy so to say...I mean...my home is...well...at home...and it is expected of me to kind of live there so I errr...can be there for the familia...and such."
He hesitated, then tried to "rework". "So basically I am mobile, but not -really- as well, do you know what I mean...I have duties...and my honor to uphold, sí?" Trueno seemed dodgy, as if exploring possibilities he has never thought off, buying time. Being playful to playfulness was not his strong suit, he was either too serious or too stiff, propably irritating in an amusing way.
"So you just want sometimes visit her when you will go around?" Laura asked curiously. "Oh and by the way, that is surprising to hear that you have regular business travels to Bretonia or Rheinland. I mean, I though that in Bretonia Mollys want to kill you, BAF want to kill you, BPA want to kill you. In Rheinland Red Hessians want to kill you, military want to kill you, RFP want to kill you. I can´t imagine how can you do business here then. Well, I don´t want to be nosy, I just can´t understand how the business can be made when all major lawful and unlawful parties want to kill you. Who left to have business with him?"
Trueno made a "that is true" gesture. "It seems you do own a diploma in Corsair diplomacy! It is true, my head right here would make you rich in an instant most propably. The Empire doesn't have many friends...for different reasons, that is. Still, there is no denying - we do have things other individuals and groups want...I mean...I have rum....and the artifact business is booming in Sirius...and for those...well, we are the only suppliers. Then...there are those who look for our support in pesetos and in arms... Our friends are few, but well chosen."
He took a short break. "Then again, all those enemies make it hard to just "commute" on the one side....on the other side it is a bit...not so easy to simply "dissappear" in order to commute without raising questions...that's why I was referring to business travels as those are...acceptable, sí?"
Trueno tried to figure out if Laura has an understanding at what he hints at, and from her face expression, it seemed that she didn´t understand completely. Hard to say if due to lack of understanding, or due to too much alcohol. Anyway she was looking at Trueno like she is expecting that his talk will continue. "May I speak openly to you, Laura?" he asked but really didn´t give much time to respond. "Look...as a Corsair, I may roam space freely and take what I want...or something like that...at least that is what the neural net shows tell you, sí? The thing is...there comes a point in the life of a Corsair where he...well...has to choose what to do with his life...and, well it is hard to say but...I kind of lost my freedom to be where I want whenever I want...so I can't wake up in the morning and decide to fly somewhere just because I want, sí? I mean.. I gained much and I don't regret it, but, well...I have my duties and those leave...little time, yes...little free time."
He looked questioningly. "Do you understand? I mean, we said it already...we know what we want because we lacked things...I gave things to gain things I want...and because of that I have to do "business trips" to get around, sí?"
Laura looked at him. "I´m quite surprised. Because this sounds like my life. Exactly as you said. I can´t wake up and decide to fly somewhere just because I want. If I don´t have holiday like now, or a break, I have my flight schedule. But I´m just an employee of the company, that is how things are going in house space. I didn´t know that Corsairs have their "companies" and "employees". Okay, I heard about companies but I didn´t know that they work quite similarly like in house space," she tried to sum up her current point of view.
"Well, you nailed it down...basically the Empire is a company...and while a youngster without responsibility may go wherever he please, he will find out very soon that the Empire has duties for him...and many of those. And me, aside from duties to the Empire, I sure have duty to my employees as well."
He tilted his head left and right. "Then again, to speak honest - life has been good to me, I brought honor to my familia, to my name and I "only" had to pay with my life for it...muy bueno," he laughed at his realization, then lifted his glass to Laura. "On duty and the Empire I guess! Salud!" But after seeing that Laura switched over to water, Trueno continued.
Laura appeared in the dilemma which appeared out of nowhere. She didn´t want to drink to a Corsair empire. She felt strange about that and her hand didn´t want to raise a glass for this for some reason. She tried to avoid that so just nodded and point her look to her glass of water. "It seems I don´t have the right drink for another salud," she said.
"Well...as always...it is comlicated, sí?" Trueno leaned in a bit, seeking for understanding. "But you know, after all... I am sure I am here to have a somewhat -less- complicated life, if only for an evening," he added.
"Less complicated life?" Laura repeated his words. "Are you sure that have a girlfriend...woman...lover...whatever you want to call it, will make your life less complicated?" she smiled on that. "Maybe you should ask elders about that, they would probably say to you that you chose wrong way then," Laura said with irony in the voice but smiling. Then pointed her look at his glass, realizing that it is still the same glass for whole date. "It seems you don´t like wine here...and the lager too. Are they so bad?"
( // story as it was played by me and Rodnas, final part // )
Trueno looked a bit grimly. "Well it might sound naive...or funny, but in fact I do believe that finding me one who doesn't have the Empire in his head and heart might provide a bubble toe ease my own head afterall..so sí, less complicated, even if only temporary..."
He then took up his wine glass and rolls it along its neck with his fingers. "The wine can't be so bad after all" he smiled and looked at Laura, "and I know the cerveza ain't bad as well...then again...I prefer a certain clarity in my mind...as I want to make sure all is bueno, sí? Drunken Corsair might scare you off due to some overstretched rumors," he said, laughed and demonstrativly took small sips from the beer and the wine in turn.
"You mean you will start to sing then, for example?" Laura laughed.
Trueno joined the laughter. "Singing, might be the last of your problems, though I think there are Freeport rules against it somewhere! But I mean...there is this one story that old One-legged Pepe always tells. He claims to once being so drunk with his hermanos that they actually captured the command center of a freeport, taking everyone as hostage, and ordered the "cruiser" to move to New London to capture some ale delivery train. And he claims that zoners were so annoyed that they actually put few whales ahead the freeport station and hauled it some metres so those drunkards fell over and asleep. Might be a bit far fetched but...well, that's old Pepe," Trueno finished the story.
"Rules against singing when drunk?," she continued to laugh. "By the way this is I think for first time I was somewhere with Corsair and I drank more alcohol than him," Laura smiled and looked with disbelief but amused at Trueno when he was telling that story. "Okay, I don´t believe, that is so crazy," she said but laughed then. "Well, it is a fact that he is banned from all freeports, so who knows... Oh, and I think...there are crazier things than sober Corsairs after all! I could suggest space-dating over light year distances for example...but if you insist on a drunken Corsair... I might have what you are looking for...if you are brave enough!"
Trueno tried to give a look as if he were quite certain she ain't. "No, I don´t want to risk that Zoners don´t have enough whales around now to save us from you commanding your cruiser," she winked at him.
Waiter then appeared at table, asking if anything more is needed. "No, for me not," she answered with empty glass of water, probably indicating that the date is here near its end. Waiter and Laura looked at Trueno, waiting for what will he say. "Now, we don't want to disgruntle our hosts after all," Trueno said, buying time. "What now?" he though. "Probably just stick to etiquette for now..." "Bueno señor, I am fine as well...if you could book everything on my docking card, sí?" he answered to the waiter and handed him a small chipcard usable for hangar access and so on.
Then he turned back to Laura. "Very well señorita, I take it you need some time for prepare for your next trips? If you wish, I will help you getting this to your ship, sí?" he pated the big ham-leg on the table. "Thank you, that would be nice," Laura answered. "I didn´t take a bag for something like this," she added with smile, pointing on her handbag. The waiter then returned with Trueno´s chipcard and check. As Trueno might quickly notice, despite the food and drink were really good, the price was not very high.
Laura then waited until Trueno stood up. He ignored the check and only took his card back, thanked and tips the waiter. After that he rose and tried to gentlemanly help Laura out of the chair. Then he shouldered the leg. "Muy bueno, that was an interesting evening, por favor, lead the way!" In the next steps Trueno reflected on if interesting is a stupid word to describe things, and concluded to a yes. "Mierda, too late," he thought and waited on Laura to continue.
She appreciated that Trueno helped her out of chair, because when she stood up, it appeared that she still has lot of wine in blood. She leaned on his arm for short moment and made few only tiny steps until she was sure that nothing bad will happen. Apparently sitting and talking was good, but walking needed more attention. But when she heard about "interesting evening", she paid fully attention back to that, looked at Trueno and studied him for a second. Maybe this is return to reality? From her experience, "interesting" as a rating of date from man usually meant "it was boring and I will never call you." Embarrassing moment, but as usual. But what to say now? "Sure, it was really nice to meet you," she finally chose neutral answer, starting to feel sad inside. They walked out of the restaurant towards the docking bay. Laura was thinking but not speaking...
Trueno was surprised at the not-100-% sure steps and chose to walk behind her and doing "the hover hand" on spots he deems dangerous for falls. He knew his time was ticking but bravery came harder than expected. "Um...you know it was -interesting-to actually have the time to talk with someone not affiliated to the Empire under these circumstances...sí? But what I mean is...it was in..I mean it was a very pleasant evening even if I hit the Hessian kraut pot, I hope you took no offense...but sí, this was a good day for me."
He continued to walk on and without say anything, musing on his incredible lack of skills.
Laura smiled at Trueno a little when he "corrected" his words. "For me too. It was nice to see a Corsair at the other side of table in restaurant and not at he other side of bomber or gunboat cannons as I usually meet them," she said ironically but with smile.
When they arrived closed door of the hangar where Laura´s ship was parked, she stopped and turned towards Trueno. Silence appeared in the air. "Why is it so silent???," he thought. "Um, shall I help you along with this?" Trueno asked and pointed at the ham-leg.
"Well and...I mean, if you are...not scared...of a Corsair...well I can give you a neural net access code which can get messages through to me...I mean...if you are around...maybe New London...New Berlin, Honshu or such... I mean...well, if you like of course."
While speaking, he discreetly memorized the dock number and tried to take a peek at Laura´s ship if the possibility arise, still trying to figure out if possibly she was a "customer" of him before.
"Yes...sure...why not," Laura answered when Trueno offered her help. She punched access code at the keyboard at the side of the door and opened them. Inside was parked shabby Hawk. By the logo on the side, it belong to Kusarian ship renting company from planet Honshu. The "name" of the ship beside it was "K-H4812", so just a registration number.
She opened the cocpit, wanted to give the ham inside when she heard Trueno´s offer of neural net acces code. She looked at Trueno, blushed a little but with smile. "Oh...well...okay. I hope it will not insult your Corsair reputation, but I was not scared of you in restaurant and I´m not even now...alone with you in the hangar. So I will like to have that code. And most of the time I´m in Okinawa or Honshu, these days," Laura said, with heartbeat going wild.
"Ah, good to know señorita...may I contact you if travels led me to that region?" Trueno said and then waved around a bit helplessly with the ham, not sure what to do now, when he decided to basically hand it over to her, using it as an excuse to get a bit nearer. While dropping it into her hands, he moved awkward-fluently on to give her a one handed yet firm hug, and with both heads on the same level Trueno added: "It would be a real pleasure..." He reddened, nervous was quite the word.
Laura noticed how close he is now and his one handed hug. Maybe she wanted to say or do something, but she just froze, looking at him, while her heart was trying to explode.
Trueno, seeing as there is propably no reaction coming from his point of view, he saved his face by taking a bow. "Well...then adios, señorita Laura, until we meet again," he gave her honest smile and with that he started to turn to the hangar exit. "Adios," Laura forced herself to say at least a word and answered with apparently excited voice and tried to smile as best as she could in that moment. Then she was looking at Trueno´s back until he left hangar bay.
After some time, when she was able to breath and move again, she closed the hangar door from inside and collapsed into Hawk pilot´s seat. It was like ride on the rollercoaster. She was sure that she need to stay at Freeport until tomorrow. Now she was so excited but also drunk. She was sure that even take off without accident was impossible.
Trueno moved over to his hangar, on the way he recaped the evening, adrenaline was flowing. He calmed and reenergized himself with his hidden rum stash, then sank into his pilot chair.
Did he screw up? He was not sure. He knew he expected more of himself, but it was to late anyways. Anger flared up. How can -this-part of life be so tough? He needed some distraction. After a while Trueno changed into his pilot suit and left for the seedier, Corsair frequented bars of the freeport, preparing for a night of drunken silence.
Laura plugged new module for communication with enhanced encryption software that she bought on planet Honshu in her PDA.
"It is still risky. If anyone especially from GMG will find out with whom you are in contact, it will be very hard to explain it. But he was...yes, he was cute somehow, but also different than was expected from Corsair. There was something attractive on him," she thought. "But mainly you are alone too long to let this chance just fly away. But who knows if he want to see you again after what you did on Freeport. That was for sure really weird from his point of view. But there is only one way how to find the answer."
Laura activated all encryption settings and wrote in the neural net access code which Trueno gave her. Them she chose "send authorization request".
"Hi, channel to Laura from Freeport," she shortly wrote in message window for recipient. She didn´t want to send any video message. "If he want to see me, then he has to call me," she thought flatly.
She took deep breath and then confirmed send of the request.